Inflatable discharge device



p 27, 1966 L. s. l. EKLUND 3,275,197

INFLATABLE DISCHARGE DEVICE Filed Oct. 23, 1964 14 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR LEIF SUNE INGOLF EKLUND ATT RNEY Sept. 27, 1966 s. l. EKLUND INFLATABLE DISCHARGE DEVICE 14 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 23, 1964 y WW ATTORNEY Sept. 27, 1966 L. s. l. EKLUND INFLATABLE DISCHARGE DEVICE 14 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed 001:. 25, 1964 2 /7 n n u w 3 v 6M u p 1111 :1 9 i I 7 7 w k i INVENTOR LEIF Sum; mew Emu BY {WW "mom/Ev Sept. 27, 1966 L. s. l. EKLUND 3,275,197

INFLATABLE DISCHARGE DEVICE Filed Oct. 23, 1964 14 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR LEI F 5mg meow EK BY a a g? ATTORNEY Sept. 27, 1966 s. 1. EKLUND 3,275,197

" INFLATABLE DISCHARGE DEVICE Filed Oct. 23, 1964 l4 SheetsSheet 5 I m l 2/ 22 9 8 IN V E NTO R LE SUNE INGULF EKLUN ATTORN E7 p 27, 1966 L. s. l. EKLUND 3,275,197

INFLATABLE DISCHARGE DEVICE Filed Oct. 25, 1964 14 Sheets-Sheet 6 L, F s

INVENTOR LEIF SUNE ING'OLF EK ATTORNEY Sept. 27, 1966 s. I. EKLUND INFLATABLE DISCHARGE DEVICE 14 Sheets-Sheet 7 Filed 001;. 23, 1964 INVENTUR LEtF SUNE meow EKLUND ATTORNEY Se t. 27, 1966 1.. s. I. EKLUND INFLATABLE DISCHARGE DEVICE 14 Sheets-Sheet 8 Filed Oct. 23, 1964 INVENTOR LEiF SUNE II\I(:OLF EKLUN Sept 27 1966 L. s. 1. EKLUND 3,275,197

INFLATABLE DISCHARGE DEVICE Filed Oct. 23, 1964 14 Sh t Sh t ee sas 9 INVEN TOR LElF SUNE ING'CLF EKLUND ATTQRNEY Sept. 27, 1966 s. 1. EKLUND 3,275,197

INFLATABLE DISCHARGE DEVICE Filed Oct. 25, 1964 14 Sheets-Sheet 10 INVENTOR LEIF SUNE lNG-CLF EKLUNO BY W Se t. 27, 1966 1.. s. 1. EKLUND INFLATABLE DISCHARGE DEVICE l4 Sheets-Sheet 11 Filed Oct. 23, 1964 F. El

Sept. 27, 1966 L. s. EKLUND 3,275,197

INFLATABLE DISCHARGE DEVICE Filed Oct. 23, l964 14 Sheets-Sheet 12 INVENTOR LE(F SUNE ING-OLF EKLUND BY Wu p 27, 1966 s. I. EKLUND INFLATABLE DISCHARGE DEVICE 14 Sheets-Sheet 13 Filed Oct. 23, 1964 INVENTOR LEIF SUNE INGOLF EKLUNI) A! TOKNEY Sept. 27, 1966 L. s. l. EKLUND INFLATABLE DISCHARGE DEVICE 14 Sheets-Sheet 14 Filed Oct. 23, 1964 wm wm ruvemox LEIF SUNE ING-OLF EKLUND AT TdrlNEv United States Patent 3,275,197 INFLATABLE DISCHARGE DEVICE Leif Sune Ingolf Eklund, Malmo, Sweden, assignor to Interconsult Aktieholag, Maimo, Sweden, a corporation of Sweden Filed Oct. 23, 1964, Ser. No. 406,086 Claims priority, application Sweden, Oct. 24, 1963, 11,685/63 9 Claims. (Cl. 222-195) The present invention is concerned with a device for discharging powdery or granular materials from containers.

It is known in the art to use inclined plates arranged within the container at the bottom to facilitate the discharge of such materials. These plates, however, must be positioned at a steep inclination if the powdery or granular material is to flow downward by the action of gravity to the discharge outlet of the container. Therefore, as a result, plates considerably reduce the internal space of the container.

Another known device requires the placing of a box with rigid side walls and a rigid, perforated top wall, on the bottom of the container, in order to form a hopper about the discharging outlet. The top wall of the box is covered by a pervious material. The interior of such a box is connected to a pressure-air source so that when admitted into the box, the pressure-air flows through the perforated top wall and the pervious material and penetrates into the powdery or granular material in the container. The pressure-air thereby fluidizes the powdery or granular material, so that the material acquires a form enabling it to flow like a liquid downward to a collecting area adjacent to the discharging outlet at the bottom of the container. These boxes however, are very voluminous, ungainly and heavy to take up. They are also rather expensive. Moreover, when these boxes are used on a delivery car or in a cargo vessel, they have the undesirable tendency to raise the center of gravity of the car or vessel thus making it unsteady or making it more easy for it to turn over. The boxes used also occupy a considerable part of the loading room, so that the available space is greatly reduced. Because the top sides of the boxes are not horizontal, the boxes cannot be left in a vessel, for the cargo hold may be used for transporting a return cargo of another kind.

It is an object of the present invention to eliminate the disadvantages of the aforesaid discharge devices. More particularly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a device, which effectively facilitates the discharge of powdery or granular materials by simultaneous fluidizing the material in bulk and further, which device is easy to take up, is inexpensive, is not very space consuming, and has a low weight and does not reduce the available storage space of the container.

The instant invention provides a discharge device comprising a membrane member made of an easy flexible, pervious material, which is attached to the insides of the container. At the bottom of the container the material defines a space between the side walls and a zone adjacent to the discharge outlet of the container. This space is connectable with a source of air under pressure. The membrane member has fine air channels of such a width, that when the pressure-air is admitted into the defined space, it inflates the membrane member, Simultaneously, however, the pressure-air escapes through the fine air channels. This pressure-air is also used to fluidize the material to be discharged. In the inflated position, the surface of the membrane member smoothly inclines toward the zone adjacent to the discharging outlet of the container. This inclined surface, in conjunction with the in- 3,275,197 Patented Sept. 27, 1966 fiating and deflating movement of the membrane member at the admission and shutting off of the pressure-air, and the simultaneous fluidizing of the powdery or granular bulk material by the pressure-air, produces very favorable conditions for the discharging operation and thus considerably facilitates and accelerates the entire operation.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the membrane member is constituted by the top wall of a pad, the side walls and bottom of which consist of impervious, air-proof material. The top wall is connected with the bottom of the pad at the zone adjacent to the discharge outlet of the container.

According to another embodiment of the invention, the membrane member is made as a cover, the edges of which are attached to the bottom and insides of the container with an air-proof seal.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, the membrane member for use in a horizontal, cylindrical container is made as a cover with a generally V-shaped cross-section profile and inclines from the ends of the container towards the zone adjacent to the discharge outlet at the bottom of the container.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in .the art from the further more detailed description and the accompanying drawings.

The drawings illustrate, without limiting the concept of the present invention, several preferred embodiments.

FIGURE 1 is a vertical section of the discharge device in the form of a pad of square configuration, adapted to be placed on the bottom of a cargo hold in a cargo vessel for transport of cement, the figure being a vertical section through the lower part of the cargo hold with the pad deflated by the weight of the cement;

FIGURE 2 is a similar vertical section with the pad in inflated position;

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of the pad in inflated condition after discharging the bulk cement;

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of a modified embodiment of the pad in inflated condition;

FIGURE 5 is a vertical section through a third embodiment of the pad in inflated condition;

FIGURE 6 is a plan view of the pad of FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 7 is a side elevation of the pad of FIGURE 5 taken along line VIIVII;

FIGURE 8 is a vertical section through a modified embodiment of the means for the attachment of the pad to the side walls of a cargo hold;

FIGURE 9 is a vertical section through a pad and its surrounding air channel;

FIGURE 10 is a vertical section through a modified embodiment of the pad of FIGURE 9;

FIGURE 11 is a plan view of the pad of FIGURE 10;

FIGURE 12 is a vertical section through a cylindrical container with the membrane member made as a cover, in deflated position;

FIGURE 13 is a similar vertical section with the cover in its inflated position;

FIGURE 14 is a vertical section through a stationary ball-shaped container with the membrane member made as a cover, in deflated position;

FIGURE 15 is a horizontal tainer of FIGURE 14;

FIGURES 16 and 17 are enlarged detail views of portions of FIGURE 14;

FIGURE 18 is a vertical section through a cylindrical stationary silo;

FIGURE 19 is a longitudinal section through a horizontal, cylindrical cement tank with a membrane member made as a cover shown in its deflated position at the right of the figure;

FIGURE 20 is a transverse section taken along line section through the con- 3 XX-XX of FIGURE 19, the cover being shown in its deflated position at the right of the figure;

FIGURE 21 is a transverse section taken along line XXIXXI of FIGURE 19;

FIGURE 22 is a longitudinal section through a horizontal, cylindrical cement tank with a membrane member made as a pad shown in its deflated condition to the right of the figure;

FIGURE 23 is a transverse section taken along line XXIIIXXIII of FIGURE 22, the pad being shown in its deflated condition to the right of the figure;

FIGURE 24 is a transverse section taken along line XXIV-XXIV of FIGURE 22.

More specifically, in the drawings, 1 represents the side walls and 2 the bottom of a square cargo hold in a cargo vessel for transport of cement. Element 3 is a suction pipe, which extends into the cargo hold, and by means of which the cement is discharged from the cargo hold when the vessel is unloaded. The suction pipe 3 is located approximately at the center of the cargo hold and extends downwardly nearly to the bottom 2.

The bottom 2 is covered by a pad having a bottom 4 and side walls 5 which are preferably made of a flexible, impervious, air-proof synthetic resin fabric. Top wall 6 (of the pad) is preferably made of easy flexible, pervious synthetic resin fabric. The side walls 5 are provided with short hoses 7 projecting through recesses in the side walls 1 and are adapted to be connected with hoses (not shown) from a pressure-air source.

The central area 9 of the top wall 6 is located immediately below the lower end of the suction pipe 3 and is fastened to the bottom 4. The top wall 6 is dimensioned in such a manner, that when the pad is inflated it occupies the position shown in FIGURE 2, inclining downward from the side walls 5 to the central area 9.

The pad is attached to the side walls 1 of the cargo hold by means of eyes 10 and hooks 11 at the top and bottom edges of the side walls 5. At the central area 9, the pad is attached to the bottom 2 by means of a bolt 12.

In its inflated condition, the interior of the pad fonms a chamber 13, which surrounds the central area and is divided into sections 14 (FIGURE 3) by means of gores 15 of easy flexible, pervious fabric. The chambers radially extend from the central area to the side walls 5. The gores 15, which connect the top wall 6 with the bottom 4, support the top wall at the proper angle of inclination when pressure-air is admitted into the chamber 13.

As shown in FIGURE 1, when the pad is deflated, the easy flexible top wall 6 and the easy flexible gores 15 together with the side walls'5 cling to the inside surfaces of the side walls 1 and the bottom 2 of the cargo hold, so that the pad does-not encroach on the available storage space of the cargo hold.

FIGURE 2 shows the form of the pad during the discharge of cement bulk 16 from the cargo hold. Pressureair is admitted through the'hoses 7 into the deflated chamber 13, so that the top wall of the pad is raised and constitutes a surf-ace, which smoothly inclines downwards from the side walls 5 to the central area 9. The fine air channels in the pervious fabric material of the top wall 6 are of such a width, that the pressure-air simultaneously escapes through the fabric of the top wall, so that the air penetrates into the cement bulk 16 and, in effect, fluidizes the cement, causing it to rapidly flow downward over the inclined surface to the central area 9, where the cement is sucked into the pipe 3 for discharge. The pressure-air admitted into the chamber 13 of t-the pad also flows through the pervious gores 15 and is rapidly distributed to each section 14 of the pad.

The tightness of the meshes, i.e. the width of the fine air channels of the fabric of the top wall 6, should be selected according to the consistency of the actual powdery or granular bulk material. Gravel, for example, r q ires m9? P essure-air than cement, in order to be fluidized, and thus flow rapidly downward to the discharge outlet suction pipe 3.

FIGURE 4 shows a modified embodiment of the pad, in which the chamber 13 is divided into four cells, by means of partition walls 17 made of air-proof fabric. The top wall of each cell is supported by gores 15 of pervious fabric. This construction makes it possible to distribute the pressure-air only to the one or to the other side of the pad in order to trim the vessel during the loading and unloading operations.

FIGURES 5-7 show a further embodiment of the pad, in which the discharge outlet 3 is located at one side of the pad. The pad is divided into cells by means of airproof partition walls 17 extending radially from a semicircular collection area 19. The top surfaces of the cells are supported by gores 15 of pervious synthetic resin fabric.

FIGURE 8 shows an alternative means for attaching the pad to the side walls 1 of the cargo hold. At the top and bottom edges the pad is provided with surrounding flaps 20 of flexible synthetic resin fabric. Anchoring steel profiles 21 with a longitudinal, dovetail-shaped channel 22 are attached to side walls 1 and bottom 2. The pad is attached to the steel profiles 21 by pressing the flaps 20 into the channels 22 and holding them securely in place by means of short securing flat bars 23, so that the flaps are wedged tight between the steel profiles 21 and the flat bars 23.

FIGURE 9 shows an alternative embodiment of the pad, wherein it is provided with a surrounding air channel comprising a separate hose 24 of pervious synthetic resin fabric having a triangular cross-section and fastened to the edge of the top wall 6. The hose or channel 24 is provided with an pressure-air inlet hose 18. With this construction of the pad, it is possible to admit pressureair into the channel 24 only, in order to displace the cement from the sides of the cargo hold towards the center, after which pressure-air is admitted also into the chamber 13 for the unloading of the cargo hold.

FIGURES 10 and 11 show an alternative embodiment, in which the pad is provided with a surrounding air channel 25, which is formed by a top wall 26 of pervious synthetic resin fabric, the air-proof bottom 4 and side walls 5 of the pad and inner Walls 27 of air-proof synthetic resin fabric, which separate the channel 25 from the chamber 13 of the pad. The channel 25 is provided with a short hose 28 projecting through a recess in the side wall 1 of the cargo hold and is adapted to be connected with a hose (not shown) from the pressure-air source. Each cell of the pad at the top wall 6 is provided with a separate hose 29 for the admission of the pressure-air.

In FIGURES 12 and 13, 30 represents a cylindrical cement tank provided with a suction pipe '31 "and a manhole covered by a lid 32. The bottom of the tank 30 is covered by a membrane member consist-ing of a pervious, easy flexible synthetic resin fabric 34, the edge 36 of which is attached to the inside of the tank with an air-proof seal by means of a ring 35. The central zone 37 of the membrane 34 is attached to the bottom of the tank 30 by means of adhesive. When pressure-air is admitted into the space 38 between the membrane member 34 and the bottom of the tank 30, the membrane member is raised to the position shown in FIGURE 13, where the top surface of the membrane member smoothly inclines from the side walls of the tank to the central zone 37 immediately below the lower end of the suction pipe 3 1.

In FIGURES 1417, 39 is the wall of a ball-shaped cement tank, which is supported by legs 40. At the top, the tank 39 is provided with a manhole 1 covered by a lid 42. At the bottom, the tank is provided with an outlet pipe 43 with a valve 44. The bottom of the tank 39 is covered by a membrane member 45 constructed of easy flexible, pervious, synethtic resin fabric. At the center, the membrane member 46 is provided with a recess, the edge of which is attached to the inside wall of the outlet pipe 43 with an air-proof seal by means of a ring 46 and a rubber packing 47, which are tightened to the wall of the outlet pipe by means of threaded pins 48 and nuts 49. The top edge of the membrane member 45 is attached to the inside of the tank 39 with an air-proof seal by means of a ring 50 with recesses 5-1 and a rubber packing 54, which are tightened to the tank wall by means of threaded pins 52 and nuts 53. Element 55 is an auxiliary air-inlet tube at the top of the tank 39.

In FIGURE 18, 57 is a cylindrical cement silo supported by legs 58 and provided with a conical bottom 59 having an outlet and valve member 60. Element 61 is an air-proof pad, which covers the bot-tom and surrounds the outlet. The top surface of the pad consists of easy flexible, pervious synthetic resin fabric, and the side walls and the bottom consist of air-proof synthetic resin fabric. When pressure-air is admitted into the pad, the top wall is raised in order to facilitate and accelerate the discharging of the cement in the silo.

In FIGURES 1924, 62 is a horizontal, cylindrical cement tank having a cement outlet pipe 63a and two pressure-air inlet pipes 63b at the bottom. According to FIG- URES 19-21, the bottom is covered by a membrane member 64 of easy flexible, pervious synthetic resin fabric, the outer edge of which is adhesively attached to the inside of the tank with an air-proof seal. The membrane member has a shape such that the fabric, in its inflated position, forms two generally V-shaped chutes 65, which incline and taper from the endwalls 66 of the tank towards the outlet pipe 63a. In order to support the bottom of the chutes 65, the membrane member 64 converging towards the outlet pipe 63a is connected with the bottom of the tank 62 (FIGURE 21) by means of gores 67 made of a pervious synthetic resin fabric.

In FIGURES 22-24, the bottom of the tank 62 is covered by a pad, the top surface of which 68 consists of easy flexible, pervious synthetic resin fabric. Side walls 69 and bottom 70 consist of air-proof synthetic resin fabric. The pad is attached to the inside of the tank 62 by means of flaps '7-1. At the outlet pipe 6311, the tank is provided with a recess, in which the upper end 72 of the pipe engages. The top surface 68 and bottom 70 of the pad are connected by means of gores 73 of easy flexible, pervious synthetic resin fabric. 74 is the air inlet hoses of the pad.

Various modes of carrying out the invention are contemplated as being within the scope of this description and the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A discharge device for a container holding powdery and granular materials which comprises:

(a) an inflatable membrane member having a top of a flexible pervious material and sides and a bottom constructed of a flexible, impervious material;

(b) means for attaching said member to the inside of the container so that when the member is inflated it forms a V-shaped incline extending downward from said side walls toward the center portion of said bottom;

(c) a pressure-air source communicating with the space defined by the top, sides and bottom of said membrane; and

(d) a suction pipe for discharging the powdery and granular materials after they have become fluidized by the pressure-air;

whereby said pressure-air inflates said member and simultaneously passes through the pervious portion of said membrane to fluidize the materials disposed above said membrane inside said container, thus facilitating egress of the materials from the container.

2. A discharge device for a container holding powdery and granular materials which comprises:

(a) an inflatable membrane member having a top of a flexible pervious material and side-s and bottom constructed of 1a flexible, impervious material;

(-b) means for attaching said member to the inside of the container so that when the member is inflated, it forms a V-shaped incline extending downward from said sidewalls toward the center portion of said bottom;

(c) a pressure-air source communicating with the space defined by the top, sides and bottom of said membrane; and

(d) means for discharging the powdery and granular materials after they have become fluidized by the pressure air;

whereby said pressure air inflates said member and simultaneously passes through the pervious portion of said membrane to fluidize the mate-rial disposed above said membrane inside said container, thus facilitating egress of the materials from the container.

3. A discharge device according to claim 2, wherein the attaching means includes an air-proof seal for attaching the membrane to the bottom and insides of the container.

4. A discharge device according to claim 2 wherein said attaching means comprises securing bars attachable to steel profiles on the side walls and bottom of the container and said membrane member has surrounding flaps on its sides and bottom.

5. A discharge device according to claim 2 wherein the membrane member includes a surrounding air channel with the top wall of flexible, pervious material and with the side walls and bottom of easy flexible, air-proof material.

6. A discharge device according to claim 2 where further comprises gores of flexible, pervious material, for connecting the top of the membrane member with its bottom and dividing the space thus defined into sections.

7. A discharge device according to claim 6 further comprising partition walls of easy flexible, air-proof material for dividing said space further into cells.

8. A discharge device according to claim 7 wherein the gores of flexible, pervious material support the top wall of each such cell at the desired incline when the discharge device is in an inflated state.

9. A discharge device for a container holding powdery and granular materials which comprises:

(a) an inflatable membrane member having a top of a flexible pervious material and sides and bottom constructed of a flexible, impervious material;

(b) means for attaching said member to the inside of the container so that when the member is inflated, it forms a V-shaped incline extending downward from said sidewalls toward the center portion of said bottom;

(c) a pressure-air source communicating with the space defined by the top, sides and bottom of said membrane; and

(d) means for discharging the powdery and granular materials after they have become fluidized by the pressure-air, which means includes an outlet opening at the bottom of the container;

whereby said pressure air inflates said member and simultaneously passes through the pervious portion of said membrane to fluidize the material disposed above said membrane inside said container, thus facilitating egress of the materials from the container.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,805,897 9/1957 Yellott 302-29 2,930,512 3/1960 Paton 222-195 3,201,000 8/ 1965 Hermanns 222l X 3,202,461 8/1965 Paton 222193 X ROBERT B. REEVES, Primary Examiner.

STANLEY H. TOLLBERG, Examiner. 

